The Studio is an AI-native venture builder for the Global South, purpose-built to transform high-barrier problems into scalable, investable companies.
Partnering with domain experts & high-agency founders from concept to Series A, it both builds new ventures and re-engineers existing ones for AI-driven growth.
Powered by UTOPIA OS — a modular, adaptive stack tailored to each venture — it compresses the path from concept to Series A to under 24 months.
We're hiring a Talent Lead to build and nurture the people systems that power the Studio, its founders, and the ventures we build.
You’ll lead culture, talent, and people systems across the Studio — helping founders attract, develop, and retain exceptional teams.
You’ll support internal platform HR and performance management, working closely with the Head of Operations & Compliance to ensure consistency across Utopia’s shared functions.
This is a hands-on, early-stage role for someone who thrives at the intersection of venture building, talent design, and founder support — building scalable systems for hiring, onboarding, and learning that make “talent as a service” one of Utopia’s most valuable offerings.
Reports to: Studio Directors
Dotted line: Managing Partner (for platform-wide HR and performance initiatives)
Growth path: Head of People / Partner, Talent & Culture
Lead end-to-end recruitment across the Studio — hiring world-class engineers, operators, and entrepreneurs
Design and run recruitment processes for EIRs, venture teams, and platform hires
Build and manage a founder talent pipeline aligned with our EIR model, Fellowship, and PODs system
Partner with leadership to define roles, evaluate candidates, and ensure cultural fit
Create hiring playbooks and interview frameworks that reflect our AI-native, founder-centric approach
Leverage analytics and AI tools to improve sourcing, candidate assessment, and hiring efficiency
Use AI tools for sourcing intelligence, talent mapping, and predictive hiring insights — designing data-driven recruitment strategies that improve quality and speed.
Prototype and pilot “AI-native” talent processes such as automated screening, culture-fit evaluation models, and adaptive job design to support fast-changing venture needs.
Embed Utopia's AI-native culture across the Studio — fostering curiosity, speed, and collaboration
Champion a one-team culture — ensuring the Studio, Funds, and Platform teams work cohesively, with shared rituals and aligned values across all parts of Utopia
Lead onboarding and internal learning programs so every team member and founder understands our mission, tools, and approach
Organize rituals, workshops, and events that build belonging and psychological safety
Coach team leads and founders on people leadership, feedback, and performance practices that scale
Implement performance frameworks that balance accountability with learning
Support leaders in designing incentive and retention models that align talent growth with venture outcomes
Experiment with AI-enabled learning systems, internal mobility tracking, and real-time feedback tools that make performance data actionable.
Collaborate with the Design Lead and Platform Engineers to create “people dashboards” that align team metrics (learning, engagement, retention) with venture KPIs.
Pilot early experiments with AI copilots and HR assistants to enhance candidate experience, onboarding, and internal learning workflows.
Provide HR advisory and culture-building support to founders within Studio ventures
Help early-stage companies design hiring systems, onboarding processes, and talent development plans
Build a network of advisors, coaches, and specialists who can support founders with leadership and team-building challenges
Develop "people playbooks" that help ventures scale while keeping strong culture
Coach founders on organizational design for AI-native teams — balancing technical depth, creative autonomy, and operational focus.
Help early-stage teams structure roles, OKRs, and collaboration patterns for speed and clarity.
Design simple toolkits that help founders run effective feedback and learning cycles without heavy HR infrastructure.
Set up and manage foundational HR systems for the Studio (payroll, contracts, policies, compliance) in collaboration with the Head of Operations & Compliance and CFO on payroll and compliance processes
Use AI-native HR tools (PeopleGPT, Deel, Ashby, Notion AI) to automate workflows and improve decision-making
Keep Studio and venture talent data up to date and compliant with QFC and Qatar regulations
Track and report Studio-level talent KPIs to leadership and QDB partners
Implement lightweight people analytics to track key indicators — hiring velocity, retention risk, engagement, and learning impact — across ventures.
Use these insights to refine Studio-wide hiring, onboarding, and team development practices.
Utopia builds and retains a high-performing, values-aligned core team
Founders and ventures consistently rate the Studio's people support as a top value-add
EIR and venture recruitment pipelines run smoothly with high-quality placements
Studio culture is clear, cohesive, and visible across all teams and programs
HR systems are compliant, automated, and founder-friendly
Performance reviews and talent development processes run on time with measurable improvements in engagement and retention
5+ years in People Operations, Talent, or HR (ideally in venture, startup, or innovation contexts)
You've designed and implemented hiring and culture systems in fast-moving environments
Familiar with early-stage company building and founder challenges
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with an empathetic, coaching mindset
Experience working cross-culturally and building inclusive teams
Tech-savvy — comfortable using and experimenting with AI tools for HR, data analysis, and process automation
Strategic thinker who can balance structure with speed
Exposure to or experience working across the Global South — understanding regional talent dynamics, cultural contexts, and cross-market collaboration
Strong grounding in talent analytics, workforce design, or AI-driven HR processes.
Proven ability to apply AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, PeopleGPT, Ashby AI) in recruiting, onboarding, or performance management.
Experience working in lean, cross-functional teams where HR collaborates directly with product and engineering.
Founder-first: You measure success by how well you enable others to thrive.
System-builder: You turn chaos into clarity through process and structure that scale.
AI-native: You use automation to enhance empathy and insight —
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